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Things looked bleak for the Seattle Seahawks early against the New England Patriots. The Seahawks lost quarterback Sam Darnold to injury at the end of their first series.
With Drew Lock replacing him, the Seahawks didn’t score in the first half. The team still trailed by seven going into the fourth quarter.
But everything changed when Lock found the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, for a conversion on fourth-and-1. Lock pass did more than move the chains; Smith-Njigba ran away from the Patriots defense and turned the play into a touchdown.
“I was happy it was a pass play,” Smith-Njigba said of the fourth-down call. “They thought it was a run. I believe they sent a blitz. My job was to find the zone.
“Drew did a great job finding me, and then after that, just do what I do. Try to get up field. Protect the ball and great up hill blocking by our tight ends.”
The star receiver spoke highly of all three units in the 13-10 Seahawks victory. Seattle’s dark-side defense picked off Drake Maye three times in the second half.
But Smith-Njigba particularly stressed how important Lock was in the victory.
“It’s tough losing [No.] 14 (Darnold). He’s the head of the snake. But we have each other’s backs,” Smith-Njigba said. “We fully trust in Drew Lock to come in and do his thing. He’s done it time and time again. We just have to have each other’s backs, like I’m saying.
“I’m super proud of everybody.”
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Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers and a variety of other NFL teams. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. More about Dave Holcomb
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